pain

Yesterday I had one of those halting, heart breaking phone calls.

A good friend of mine has been fighting debilitating pain for months, and kept in good spirits - but last night, it was clearly taking its toll.

I’d never heard this fighter sound so defeated before. Ordinarily, he is a tireless champion for both himself, his family, and others, but this invisible pain with no obvious cause was bringing him to his knees. It was robbing him of the tools he ordinarily used to fight, and what tools the pain didn’t take away, the medication for the pain did. Without a clear diagnosis, healthcare, insurance, and employers were acting skeptical, further demoralizing him.

It wasn’t until after we hung up that I realized just how normal his depression was… and just how intertwined depression and pain likely are.

Pain is a heck of a monster to battle. It changes your brain chemistry, and clouds your mind. It robs you of your sleep, which further clouds your mind and weakens your brain and body. It can be debilitating and disabling — keeping you from doing the things you love, the things that you live for, the things you do to let off stress and help yourself cope.

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